100-job-search-tips

100 Job Search Tips from FORTUNE 500 Recruiters
Along with Stories from the Recruiting Trenches
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“ ouldn’titbegreatifyoucouldsitdownwithabunchofFortune500recruitersand
findoutwhatthehellthey’relookingforfromjobcandidates?Well,readthisbook.”
Eve Tahmincioglu
Your Career columnist, MSNBC.com
M
“ ostjobseekershavenoideawhatrecruitersareactuallylookingfor,whichiswhy
theadviceinthisbookissoimportant!”
Alison Doyle
Job Search Guide, About.com
T
“ hiscollectionofstoriesandadviceisabsolutelybrilliant.Itshouldbeprintedout
andread,multipletimes,withahighlighter!
Jason Alba
CEO of JibberJobber.com and
creator of Linkedin for Job Seekers, the DVD
T
“ hisbookisaninvaluableresourceforjobhunters.Whatcouldbebetterthan
hearingdirectlyfromrecruitersaboutwhattheywant(andwhattheydefinitely
DON’Twant)fromcandidates?Readingthisbookwillgiveyouamajoradvantage
inthejobmarket.”
Lindsey Pollak
author of “Getting from College to Career:
90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World”
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December 2009
The rules and norms of job searching and career
mobility have changed.
For job seekers, gone are the days of creating a great résumé and actively following job boards as a way to be
sure you’ll find—and ultimately land—a job that meets your needs.
The world is just as different for recruiters.
This book contains 100 real-time tips and stories from FORTUNE 500 recruiters that will inspire and motivate you,
provide insights, and identify traps. The recruiters come from diverse backgrounds and geographies, and they
have experience recruiting at all levels. Don’t miss the last two pages. They are filled with links to the top career
and job search resources and social media sites.
Talent search doesn’t have to be a mystery. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Putting people to work faster is good for you,
good for families, good for the global economy, and good for business.
If you are looking for your next job, if you take note of just one piece of advice, this is it: Don’t give up. Don’t take
it personally. Be persistent and be a master of the new rules of search.
With sincere wishes for your success,
Jack Mollen
Executive Vice President of Human Resources
EMC Corporation
P.S. If you find this book of value, please consider sharing it with others.
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Table of Contents
Section...............................................................................................Page(s)
Recruiters cite job search strategies, mistakes, and top resources................ 5 – 13
RecruiterSpecialties/AreasOfFocus:
All business functions, New hire to Executive...................................................... 5
Executive ........................................................................................................... 6
College Grads ..................................................................................................... 7
Sales; Federal; and Telecommunications ............................................................. 8
Engineering ........................................................................................................ 9
Information Technology Global Services............................................................. 10
Information Security, All business functions ...................................................... 11
Ireland, All business functions .......................................................................... 12
China, All business functions ............................................................................ 13
UK, IT positions ................................................................................................ 14
Resources ........................................................................................................ 15
Brought to you by ..................................................................................... 16 – 17
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Top10jobsearchstrategies:
1. Network, network, network.
2. Strong résumé.
3. Have a clear idea why you are looking and what your short-term goals are.
4. Clearly understand your long-term goals. Do they make sense with your short-term goals?
5. Don’t be negative. The interview process is slow and frustrating. Don’t let this shake you up.
6. Don’t be a name dropper.
7. Listen and engage: Don’t just talk in the interview.
8. Smile—be yourself.
Steve 9. Be honest. Don’t try to answer interview question with the answers you think the interviewer wants to hear. Be yourself
and be honest. Don’t exaggerate.
10. Close the interview: Are there objections that need to be overcome?
Kimball Top3commonmistakesthatjobseekersmake:
1. Poor networking: Don’t wait to look for a job until you need to.
Hometown: 2. Not prepared for an interview: Research the company.
Bolton, MA 3. Behavioral-based interview model: Need to have real examples of accomplishments. Many candidates are unprepared
Title: for this type of interviewing style.
Director, Recruiting Mytoprecruitingsources:
Years as a recruiter: 19 1. Personal network
Recruiting focus: 2. Social networks (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs)
All business functions; 3. Job boards (Monster, HotJobs, Dice)
entry-level to executive 4. EMC.com
5. Employee referral
Linkedin profile: 6. Current employed workers
www.Linkedin.com/pub/
steve-kimball/0/10b/a90 Favoriterecruitingstory:
I was the final interviewer for a candidate whom I was looking to hire. He had done extremely well in the process, and
the whole team wanted to hire him. When I heard his name, I remembered his résumé from three years ago. Upon
comparing his old and new résumés, I noticed several discrepancies. I pulled out my original interview notes and went
into my meeting. Not only were jobs missing, but the titles had been changed and his compensation was also misrepre-
sented. Needless to say, the interview lasted five minutes. The moral of this story is, be honest. I would have hired him
if he had just told the truth. This person made things up to make himself look better. With the detailed interviews that
happen, the social media tools that exist, and the thorough reference/background-check process that most companies
use, it is only a matter of time before a person’s lies catch up with them.
Finalwords:
The most important thing to remember about managing your job search is having a strong network of people who believe
in you. This is not developed at the time that you are in need. Always remember that part of networking is being willing
to give back generously to others in your network. The more you give, the more you will get when you need it.
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Top10jobsearchstrategies:
1. Network, network, and then network some more.
2. Research companies inside and out before you interview.
3. Become an expert in social networking.
4. If you know someone who works at a company you are interviewing with, spend some time with them before
you interview.
5. Get to know the top search professionals in your area.
6. Have informational meetings with people you know in the industry.
7. Join professional and industry organizations.
Thomas 8. Learn as much as you can about the interviewer before the interview and prepare questions before the meeting.
9. Send follow-up thank-you notes to everyone you meet with.
10. Dress professionally and act professionally. Remember, everything counts!
Murray Top3commonmistakesthatjobseekersmake:
1. Being under-prepared for an interview. If someone has not researched EMC and the business they are interviewing
Hometown: for, they will likely not get by the initial screen.
Northborough, MA 2. Being too comfortable, especially when the candidate knows the interviewer.
Title: 3. Showing up late.
Global Head, Talent Acquisition Mytoprecruitingsources:
Years as a recruiter: 12 1. Social networks
Recruiting focus: 2. Employee referrals
EVP, SVP, VP 3. Personal network
Linkedin profile: Favoriterecruitingstory:
http://www.Linkedin.com/pub/ Don’t drink alcohol during an interview. I met an executive at a Marriot in Seattle, and the individual drank three beers
tom-murray/4/2/816 during the interview while I had water. The individual was swearing by the end of the interview. Needless to say, he
Twitter profile: didn’t pass the screen.
@TomJMurray Finalwords:
Talent acquisition today is a blend of using social networks, having a strong personal network, and also having the
ability to direct source.
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Top10jobsearchstrategies:
1. Utilize campus career centers.
2. Join social networking sites.
3. Take a class—how to interview, how to sell yourself, how to write a winning résumé.
4. Practice interviewing, get feedback, and revise your interview strategy.
5. Talk with your favorite professor to get leads.
6. Develop an elevator pitch to use at career fairs.
7. Research companies and put a short list together.
8. Find out who the “key” contacts are at companies where you have an interest and reach out to them.
9. Leverage your internship into a full-time position.
Cindy 10. Network, network, network.
Top3commonmistakesthatjobseekersmake:
Gallerani 1. Being unprepared—interviews, career fairs, poor résumé.
2. Sharing too much or getting too comfortable in an interview.
3. Misrepresenting yourself on your résumé or in the interview.
Hometown:
Charlton, MA Mytoprecruitingsources:
Title: 1. Campus recruiting
Director, University Relations 2. Network
3. EMC.com
Years as a recruiter: 25
4. Linkedin
Recruiting focus:
College Interns and Recent Grads Favoriterecruitingstory:
I had a soon-to-be graduate contact me from a local college where the company did not actively recruit. He told me that
Linkedin profile:
he was ve